E.—l

96

Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Assets. £ s, (J, Liabilities. £ s , 3. To Balance on Current Account £201 10 By Land Fund .. 435 15 11 Savings-bank 111 17 11 Outstanding cheque 0 10 6 Fixed deposits 323 18 0 Balance of assets 1 233 19 0 636 16 11 Rents due and in arrear 1,027 2 4 Interest accrued to 31st Dec, 1894 6 2 6 £1,670 5 .5 £1,670 5 5 E. Pabris, Chairman. E. Vbale, Secretary Examined and found correct. —Jambs Edwabd FitzGekald, Controller and Auditor-General.

WELLINGTON Sib,— Wellington, 15th March, 1895. By direction of the School Commissioners for the Wellington Provincial District, I have the honour to forward the Commissioners' sixteenth annual report, being that for the year ending the 31st December, 1894. As stated in last year's report, the School Commissioners held their annual sales in January, 1894, at which they disposed of three sections—viz., one small section of 3 acres, at Karere, for the annual rent of £4 the section (the lease of this section having been determined, in consequence of arrears of rent, by the former lessee) and two country sections—viz., Waitotara, Section 48, 168 acres (this section was abandoned by the former lessee, who left for England in arrear of rent), at Is. per acre, and Mangaone, Section 33, Block IV., 269 acres, at 2s. 6d. per acre. During the year, and subsequent to the sales, the Commissioners have succeeded in letting by tender two sections at Manaia, near Masterton —Sections 9 and 14, 109 acres 2 roods—at an annual rental of £61; these sections were formerly held under lease for twenty-one years, at £41 10s. per annum, and the lease expired on the 30th September, 1894, and were let again to the same tenant for twenty-one years from the Ist October, 1894, with covenant for renewal for a further term of twenty-one years, under the provisions of " The Public Bodies' Powers Act, 1887 " Thus, by the foregoing transactions, the Commissioners, after making allowance for losses by previous tenants, have increased their annual income to the extent of £43 10s. 6d. In January, 1895, as is their usual custom, the School Commissioners, after having previously announced their intention, in accordance with statutory requirements, offered their unlet reserves for leasing, for twenty-one years, by auction, when, contrary to expectation, not a single offer was received for any one of the sections offered, although the reserves were fully and thoroughly well advertised, and in some instances the upset rentals were reduced to so low an amount as to bring the reserves, one would think, within the reach of all. The School Commissioners are glad to be able to announce that they have at last succeeded in obtaining a schedule of the lands that have been laid off but not yet gazetted to them for this return they have to thank Mr. J H. Baker, Commissioner of Crown Lands, who took the matter up, and put a special officer on for the compilation of the return, for which the Commissioners were very glad to vote him the necessary funds. It is hoped that before next session of Parliament is over all the lands contained in the return may be duly gazetted to the Commissioners, and that they may come forward next year with an array of lands for leasing by auction such as will satisfy the numerous settlers in the neighbourhood of the lands, who have, during the past two or three years, been making inquiry for them. The Commissioners desire to place on record their appreciation of the action of Mr John H. Baker in taking up this matter and bringing it to a successful issue. The Commissioners regret that they cannot utilise any of the reserves specified in the return for purposes of secondary education, and they again direct me to make an urgent appeal to the Government to set aside a sufficient area of land for this purpose while they have statutory power to do so. It will be seen by the accounts that a sum of £57 10s. has been charged this year as the cost of compiling the return referred to herein, but to complete the return a further sum of £8 10s. was required, which has been paid and charged to the account for 1895. I have, &c, J E. Blaie, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Chairman, School Commissioners.

Ixpem ',ure —con ,muei Primary Secondary Total. Brought forward Expenses of reserves Stationery, printing, &c. Travelling expenses of members Taranaki Education Board Wanganui Education Board New Plymouth High School Wanganui High School Purchases of school sites Balance (Current Account, £200 10s. 6d. , Land Account, £435 15s. lid.) .. £ s. d. 6 6 3 5 16 9 1,182 4 4 717 15 8 £ s. d. 15 9 £ s. d. 371 3 9 6 6 3 2 13 7 2 6 1,182 4 4 717 15 8 217 15 9 132 4 3 113 5 9 217 15 9 132 4 3 636 6 5 Total expenditure 3,386 5 11